Happy Manatee Appreciation Day!

When I think of a manatee, I think of Flordia, or somewhere much warmer than New Jersey, but believe it or not there have been some manatee sightings here at the Jersey Shore and throughout New Jersey in the past couple of years. In honor of Manatee Appreciation Day, here are some of the highlights:

August 2015 - Toms River & Point Pleasant Beach

According to The Weather Channel, and Shorebeat.com, back in 2015, there were two --count-em -- two manatees found in the Toms River, you know... just doing manatee stuff. Although cute, this caused authorities to issue a warning to boaters in the area to keep a lookout for more of them. A few weeks after the manatee was spotted in the Toms River, another manatee was spotted off the coast of Point Pleasant Beach.

July 2015 - Bordentown

A lone manatee was spotted exploring in waters in Deleware and Bordentown, New Jersey. A man that was fishing thought that he spotted the manatee and contacted authorities. After further investigation, local police urged boaters to drive extra carefully because manatees are endangered with their main threat being hit by boats.

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October 2009 - Linden & Brigantine

NJ.com reports that Ilya was a manatee that tried to take shelter in warmer waters during the harsh October conditions in Bayway Refinery in October of 2009. Ilya was pulled from the water by local authorities and treated at the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine. After being treated, Ilya took a trip to the Atlantic City Airport where she was put on a C-130 and airlifted back to warmer waters in Florida.

While manatees are cute and it's really awesome to see one in person (speaking from experience) they are an endangered species with their main threat by being hit by a boat. Wildlife authorities have been doing their best in recent years to make sure that boaters and fishermen know how to deal with manatees when they come in contact with one.

According to The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, more than 30 manatees have been killed by humans, with the majority being from boating-related incidents in 2018 already. 

We have to take care of our planet, and that means taking care of our manatees.

So, from my manatee to yours, Happy Manatee Appreciation Day!

 

 

 

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